Tiger Woods’ Inconsistent Swing Effectively Ends Season

Tiger Woods’ Inconsistent Swing Effectively Ends Season

For a man who once could do no wrong on the golf course, Tiger Woods seems unable to do little right.

Published August 15, 2011

For a man who once could do no wrong on the golf course, Tiger Woods seems unable to do little right — on a sustained basis anyway — these days.

His trend of inconsistency continued Friday as Woods shot a 3-over par 73 during the second round of the PGA Championship, which wasn’t good enough to make the cut. So not only did the result and the two-day 10-over par subtotal end his run in Atlanta but it effectively ended his PGA Tour season.

Woods won't qualify for the season-ending FedEx four-week playoffs. His next scheduled appearance will be the Australian Open in November. Between now and then he has time fix what is ailing him and right now that looks like his swing.

“Now I’ll have nothing to do but work on my game,” Woods said Friday. “That’s going to be good. [Swing coach Sean Foley] and I haven’t had the opportunity to really sit down and do a lot of work, so this will be our time.”

From the look of things the one-time world’s top golfer could use plenty of work. He returned to the tour just two weeks ago at the Bridgestone after a three-month layoff due to leg injuries. The rust was obvious in the two tournaments he competed in during his comeback with the PGA Championship seeming to be the low.

It wasn’t just the 77 and 73 scores that were stunning. It was the uncharacteristic way in which Woods went about achieving those scores that was most stunning. Woods managed five double bogeys in a tournament for the first time as he found the water, sand and woodland seemingly more than he did the fairways.

Friday’s result meant Woods finished outside of the top 100 of the tournament and ensured he would miss the cut at a major for just the fourth time in his 15-year career.

“I think I was in nearly 20 bunkers in two days. And I had four or five water balls,” Woods said. “So that’s not going to add up to a very good score.”

He also added that his overriding emotion Friday was “frustration and disappointment that I’m not contending in the tournament. So, next time.”

If there is a silver lining in Woods’ two-week return to the PGA Tour it is that he was able to play pain free. Woods limped off The Players on May 12 just nine holes in due to a knee and Achilles tendon injuries he originally sustained during the Masters. That led to his long layoff.

“I think it’s a step back in the sense that I didn’t make the cut,” Woods said. “But it’s a giant leap forward in that I played two straight weeks, healthy. That’s great for our practice sessions coming up. We are going to be able to work and get after it, something, unfortunately, I haven’t been able to do. I thought I could come in here and play the last couple of weeks and get it done somehow, but I need some work.”